


Insert Title Here

by Daichan795



Category: Jaspar-Fandom, Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Bromance, Dan is forever Phil trash #1, Friends to Lovers, James knows all, Jealous Caspar, Jealous Dan, Jealousy, Joe switches between cinnamon roll and sinnamon roll, Joe to a certain extent, M/M, Medium Burn, Misunderstandings, Multi, Oli is a saint, Phil and Joe are beautiful cinnamon rolls, Phil and Joe are hopeless romantics, Phil and Oli are the mom friends, Phil is a literal ray of sunshine, Tags WILL be added in later chapter, Tyler is forever thirsty for Joe, Tyler makes things worse, all the fluff!!, and memes, because it’s Dan, besides James, brief mentions of existential crisis, everyone is Phil trash, everyone is dense and oblivious, friendship bonding, not as much as Alfie though, slight angst, someone please help these boys. Ratings change later., supportive joe, unneeded angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-16
Updated: 2017-04-10
Packaged: 2018-07-15 09:40:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7217311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daichan795/pseuds/Daichan795
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After spending a day together, Phil and Joe realised they had one thing in common. They’re in love with their roommate. Cue a kindling friendship, constant meetups to discuss their one-sided attraction, and perhaps indulging in silly ideas on how to confess to their dense crushes. But as usual, nothing really works out as they had hoped, and they had to deal with the aftermath.<br/>Or, in which Joe and Phil became good friends, and misunderstandings revolve between Caspar and Dan.<br/>Tags WILL be added in later Chapters<br/>*Title may change in the later future* *Erratic updates*<br/>-We're ignoring that Caspar and Joe moved out okay? Okay.-</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Slow beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> First fanfic with the youtuber boys. God, I'm so proud of them all, Caspar and Oli with their new books and Dan and Phil with their tour. And now the promise of having another Joe and Caspar hit the road, USA? Ahhhh, what a time to be alive!! Ugh, my heart can't take it.
> 
> Anyways, story is un-beta-ed so mistakes are mine. Erratic updates so please forgive me. Thanks for giving my story a chance. ^-^

Light peaked through the curtains, developing the room in a warm glow. Well, as much as England's beautiful weather allowed it to. Joe snuggled into his pillow, fluttering his eyes open to look bleary at the camera near his face. He offered a small smile as he tried to push his hair out of his eyes.“Good morning everyone, today is going to be an exciting day. I can guarantee that none of you are prepared for what’s going to happen. But the problem is, I really don’t want to get out of bed. It’s way too comfortable…” 

He buried his face more into the pillow, letting out a deep sigh. Morning vlogs were always fun to record, but he sometimes forgot how comfortable his bed was, or the warmth of the comforter, or the softness of the pillow beneath his head. Especially the pillows. Despite being used as a prank, the pillows he got from Oli and Caspar were extremely comfortable. And soft. He could probably stop the vlog now, and continue later. It probably would create more footage for him to edit later on, but he was sure he could make time to do it if he really wasn’t feeling up to it right then.

He stifled a small yawn. Why was he vlogging this early again?

He couldn’t stop the tug of his lips as he heard the click of a door opening. Caspar was finally up. Joe could hear the heavy footsteps fumbling around the room. Joe slowly crept out of bed, offering a last sorrowful goodbye to his pillow before silently crossing his room towards the door. He carefully positioned the camera to where it viewed the space between their rooms and the bathroom, out of sight of Caspar’s sluggish form.

He bit his lips, a grin appearing on his face. “Yeah, so you’ve probably guessed it…” On cue, Caspar emerged from his room, one hand rubbing sleepily at his eye. Joe breath hitched. Caspar was completely defenseless, eyes lidded with sleep and mouth opening to release a loud yawn. All the while with nothing on but flimsy black boxers. Leave it to Caspar to look sexy and cute at the same time.

Focus Sugg, focus.

The yawn cut off abruptly, steps freezing into place by the doorframe. Joe held his breath, steadying the camera and zoomed in on his roommates form. Caspar stared. Then rubbed his eyes. And then stared. And stared. Joe bit his lips to stifle the giggles but it was to know avail. Especially when Caspar finally reacted from his shock form. “W-What…? Joe! Seriously? The cups again?!”

Joe’s mirth came in full blast, camera shaking from the laughter that racked Joe’s body. 

Yes, he used the styrofoam cups again. Yeah yeah, how original. However, instead of the cups littering the floor, they were stacked together to form three massive walls, perfectly trapping Caspar by his door. The cups literally touched the ceiling, and offered little space to move around.

Caspar could only stare dumbly at the cups, mind whirling in both shock and exasperation as Joe laughed beside him. Joe skillfully put a cup barrier between them, offering only a small gap to where his camera can clearly record Caspar’s face. 

And it was not disappointing. His roommate looked completely lost. “Joe, how do I get out?”

“Well, mate, you’re gonna have to knock them down.”

“Joe, c’mon, can you please take them down?”

Joe shook his head, “No way, I stacked them up. Now you have to take them down.”

Caspar face fell, eyes shifting around the room uncomfortably. Caspar was too good at looking like a kicked puppy. It took a lot of effort for Joe to ignore Caspar’s pleading tone and large sad eyes. Instead, he focused on the hilarity of the situation, zooming in on Caspar trying to escape out his window, only to realise that Joe took his keys. Again. Really, the boy should learn by now that a Sugg leaves no stone unturned.

Caspar returned to the door-frame in defeat, sending Joe another pleading look. “Please take them down?”

And Joe almost gave in. How could he deny those intense blue eyes that always shimmered with emotion? Or the way his whole face drooped in a way that resembled a small sad child. Honestly, Caspar was just not playing fair. (Being shirtless was just a bonus)

“No dice mate. Now come on! You need to take a shower, big day ahead of us!” Joe exclaimed, voice shifting into a more comical one. He mentally patted himself on the back for withstanding Caspar’s assault.

He tried to hold in his giggles as Caspar's face completely fell, eyes roaming the walls of cups in a way that can only be described as despair. Joe shimmied through the only open space he spared for himself, offering a sly grin at Caspar’s expense. A job well done! There was no way Caspar could jump his way out this time. He checked the camera he already set up, reassured to see that it still was blinking red. Good, he wanted to make sure he caught every second of the other trying to get out. With Caspar’s large frame, he had no doubts that it will resemble a scene from Godzilla.

Oh right, he almost forgot.

“Also, Caspar?” Joe said, glancing over his shoulder once he made it back safely in his room. “One of the cups on top has water in it, so choose wisely! Good luck!” With that he scurried inside and locked the door, laughing at his best friend’s loud screech of protest.

For now, Joe was due to a shower. They only had a few hours before they had to leave, and Joe refused to go feeling sweaty and gross. Especially since he's going to spend time with someone he really admired.

The last time he actually seen both Dan and Phil was during the Youtubers creators summit. He even was placed in the same team! Sadly, they were unable to spend some proper time together, it didn’t help that they stuck together like glue and refused to be around a large crowd of people that would offer any chance of actually socialising.

So, Phil calling him and asking to hang out with him and Caspar was amazing in itself. Maybe he could try to swing in a chance to do a collab. Maybe the four of them together! Jaspar v.s. Phan! He knew that Caspar would be up for it, probably slip in the pineapple incident to have a reason for the challenge.

But none of that will happen if he did not shower. Camera safely put away and phone plugged to speaker for some nice tunes, Joe finally entered his bathroom. He undressed to the sound of five seconds of summer, because really what else should he listen to, and then turned on the shower, making sure the temperature was to his liking. The water felt incredibly good on his skin upon entering, sighing as he felt his muscles relaxed. Yes, he has a feeling that today was going to be a good day.

Caspar indignant squeak followed by the sound of splashing water was just an added bonus.

 

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

 

Phil decided he probably chose the wrong day to be sociable. Honestly, who chooses a Monday, of all days, to drag Dan out of his cozy home and into the outside world? Apparently Phil, since that's exactly what he did that morning.

Dan was comfortably sitting in his spot, back fitting perfectly in his couch crease and browsing mode fully turned on. Just how Phil left him the night before. It wouldn't surprise Phil if Dan stayed there the entire time. He honestly looked extremely comfortable, to the point that Phil didn't have the heart to make him move for breakfast. Pancakes and coffee were then made and served to one lazy human being.

They had their food right on the couch, re-watching Haikyuu (because Dan had to read a fanfic where Hinata had a prosthetic leg and it really messed him up). So, Phil supposed he could forgive him for being irritated after that nice evening was suddenly snatched away and ended with Dan being stuck in a hot, crowded subway because he wanted to be ‘social.’ He doubted that Dan even bothered to remember who they were meeting later in the day, too busy mourning the loss of his anime and the sweet aroma of his coffee. (and while he was still irritated, he can't really do much when it was Phil who made him that coffee.)

He hoped they were people who Dan actually felt comfortable to be with. His awkwardness was already at its finest around people he trusted. Who knows when disaster will strike? Not that Phil could talk, he literally was a hazard on legs. However, he knew that he had nothing to worry about. They got along fairly well with Caspar and Joe, Dan finding a new person to suck into the world of memes with, and took pleasure in knowing that he was the one to do it.

And Phil wanted to get Dan out of the house. It was normal for them to never go out and horde themselves in their rooms, only leaving to eat food, watch anime in the living room, or just to use the toilet.

The thing was, Dan began to withdraw from society much more than he usually did. It was not serious enough for panic, but Phil couldn’t help but feel worried when his best friend only agreed to talk with only him and Louise instead of his other mates or family back home. So, Phil decided that Dan should be exposed to more people he could trust, and, if Dan feels comfortable enough, branch together and form a larger circle group Dan could rely on.

Phil made a mental note to call Pj when he comes back home and schedule a day together.

“Ugh, it’s too warm in here.” Dan said, leaning against one of the poles on the tube.

“Then maybe you should take off your jumper.”

Dan made a face at that, “I will not expose myself in public, if that’s what you’re referring to.”

Phil cupped his hand over his mouth to stifle his laugh as Dan smirked back in response. Leave it to Dan to make things more complicated than they need to be.

Phil found it amusing that Dan was wearing double the amount of black he usually wore, like he wanted to convey how he felt in a more aesthetically pleasing way. Add some headphones and he perfected the image of an angsty teenager. He definitely blended in with the other teenagers on the tube who looked like they would rather be anywhere else but there.

Phil held in his giggle, waving off the curious look Dan sent him with a grin. He was sure Dan would fall into a fouler mood if he heard Phil’s thoughts. Or worse, Dan would somehow find meaning in his thoughts and spiral into an existential crisis right in that moment. Phil didn't know how he would take it if Dan suddenly decided to screw society's expectation and lay on the floor in the middle of an overcrowded tube. He really didn’t want his best friend to be trampled on, or have to carry him out.

No matter what Dan said, they both were quite heavy and their heights didn’t help in that matter.

“Wow, I wouldn't have the confidence to wear something like that.” A voice whispered, startling him from his thoughts.

He glanced up from his position, finding two school girls standing just a few feet away from him. They were huddled together, hands cupped in front of their faces as they whispered back and forth. They blatantly stared at him, looking him up and down in a judgmental manner.

“Ah…” He whispered to himself, peering down to his own clothing. Compared to Dan's black but pleasing attire, his clothes did look strange. He doesn't know many people who would wear a full blown galaxy jacket with matching trousers and shirt underneath. His different coloured socks finished the outfit off with their spiraling stars and explosion of galaxies.

The two girls continued to whisper to each other, not realising that their tone were nowhere near silent. Phil ducked down, not wanting the girls to know that he could hear everything. He glanced besides him and felt a sigh of relief escaped his lips at finding Dan with his headphones in place, completely death to the world. Good. He didn't want to put Dan in an awkward position. What do you do when you hear things like that?

He could feel some sympathetic stares on his back as he rested his hand against one of the poles to balance himself from the slight tremors of the cart. Phil couldn't understand why though, the girls obviously didn't mean any harm and he took no offense to their opinion. He liked his outfit, having specifically picked it out because he had a ‘spacey alieny’ feeling that day.

Dan only snorted in response when Phil expressed that feeling, too occupied with his loss of anime and coffee to come up with a witty comment. He briefly wondered if Joe and Caspar would share the same opinion as the girls, but quickly brushed it off. They were nothing like that, the best he would get would be light teasing, normal for friends.

“Silly Philly,” he muttered under his breath. He should not think of those things. Not that it mattered, he felt good in his attire and it was definitely there to stay.

He stole a glance at Dan, who nodded to the song blasting in his headphones. He really did look good, with his hair lightly sweeping with the movement of his head and the lights reflecting in his brown eyes. Those eyes caught his stare and he was given a very Dan-like-smile, which Phil couldn’t help but send a small smile in return.

Silly Philly indeed.


	2. Start of the Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Then, Phil’s eyes suddenly shifted to Dan, and Joe understood. It was like looking at his own reflection in those blue eyes. 
> 
> They were the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Un-beta'd so mistakes are mine.

“Caspar, I'm sorry.” Joe said again, tying an apron around his waist. 

Caspar only crossed his arms and sunk himself even further in the couch cushion. Joe would have sighed in exasperation if he did not find the situation amusing. Instead, he turned around and continued to fiddle around with kitchen utensils and what food remained, laughing quietly to himself each time his roommate huffed in annoyance. 

Caspar was pouting, still not forgiving Joe for his prank and has decided to glare at him from the couch. Not that Joe blamed him, a person who was splashed with water and then had to clean up the aftermath was inclined to be upset. If he was to look down from the staircase, he would be met with an abundance of cups littering the floor, seeping into both Caspar’s room and his own. Even the first two steps of the stairs were decorated with the styrofoam cups. He was honestly surprised that Caspar didn't immediately attack him once he got out of the shower. Though he had an inkling it had to due with him being the one who was making the food. And the fact that Caspar had to shower and quickly get dressed.

Joe knew that his mate would forgive him eventually, probably before they left the house or when Oli comes around. However, he decided that it would be better to have him in a lighter mood so things can go more smoothly. There was no time to order pizza, because that would just be convenient, so Joe did the next best thing. Make pancakes and hope for the best. 

Oli showing up and distracting Caspar would be better. 

“Come on Caspar, aren't you going to join me?” 

“No.” Oh, the pouting continued. 

Joe faked a sigh, “Fine, then Oli and I will eat all these pancakes ourselves.” 

Caspar head poked above the couch, zoning in on the stack of pancakes on the counter. Butter and freshly cut bananas littered the top, just how he liked it. Damn, Joe was not playing fair. 

Joe leaned on the counter, watching as Caspar's face contorted with different emotion, having a miniature battle with himself. It settled with smugness as he flopped back down on the couch. “Oli is still not here so there's still be left for me.” 

The smugness deflated when met with Joe’s signature smirk. And then the door opened. He honestly couldn't believe his luck.

“Hey buddy! Sorry I'm late, I had to finish editing my video with James. Didn’t know it would take that long.” Joe’s smirk still lingered as he gave Oli a friendly hug, relishing in Caspar’s utter disbelief. “You're actually just in time. Want to eat Caspar's share?” 

“Caspar doesn’t want to eat?” 

“Nah, he said he wasn't hungry.” Joe exclaimed, voice pitching to one of incredulous. Blue eyes stared at the two in bewilderment, jaw slacking as Oli shrugged his shoulders and sat in his spot, laughing at a joke Joe made at his expense. They're talking like he wasn't there! And they're eating his food! 

He watched in despair as Oli forked down his pancakes, seemingly forgetting he was there. Now that was crossing the line. “Oliiiiiii!” Caspar finally whined from the couch, catching the other two’s attention.

Oli grinned as Caspar wrapped his arms around his neck, raising an eyebrow at Joe’s relieved sigh. “Joe is being mean again.” Caspar whined, shooting Joe another glare.

“Aw, its okay buddy. What did he do this time?” Oli asked, lessening the others hold on his neck. He really needed to control his strength. 

“He poured water on me and made me clean up the mess, and he refused to feed me!” 

“Now hang on, that last bit is a lie! He didn’t want to eat!” Joe exclaimed.

“Now, there's no more foooood~.” Caspar continued, dropping his head on Oli’s shoulder with a pitiful sigh. It was Caspar’s turn to be unfair, draping himself on Oli while ignoring him. 

Joe huffed in exasperation, he really was too soft on him. “Well, well! What do we have here?” He reached under the counter and pulled out another plate, toppled high with the fluffy goodness. His lips quirked upward at the surprised look he received, and set the plate down in front of Caspar. 

He laid his head on his right arm against the counter, peering up apologetically. “I am sorry for prank, forgive me.” He asked softly, voice resembling Stitch from Lilo and Stitch.

The reaction was instant. Caspar pulled him over the corner and hugged him tightly, rubbing their cheeks together excitingly. “I forgive you! Thanks Joe!” 

Joe felt his cheeks flush lightly. He coughed awkwardly, opting to pat his back. “Okay, okay. I'm glad I'm forgiven! Now hurry up! We have to leave soon.” 

He didn't have to tell Caspar twice. He immediately let go and dug right in, leaving Joe to regain his bearings. It was harder than he thought with Oli there, looking at the two with a fond smile. He needed to thank him later for helping him calm down Caspar. It was a good idea to call him after his shower. 

No matter how dire things were, Oli always found away to make the situation better, especially when it came to Joe’s pranks. At least there was one person who appreciated his masterpieces. 

He glanced at Caspar, snorting at the elated expression on his face as he scarfed down the food. Caspar really lived up to his motto on ‘food is life.’ Besides him, Oli frowned at his phone, swiping his lock screen to read a message. Joe raised an eyebrow at the panic that flickered through his face. “Everything alright, mate?”

The panic gradually died off his face, but his voice was no less urgent, “Um, while I don't want to be the bearer of bad news… but the uubers’ already here.”

Joe tensed. Already? Did they really waste that much time arguing and teasing. He heard a fork clatter on the table and tensed even more, feeling sweat build up on his forehead. “But….my food…” Caspar’s voice called out. Joe didn't dare look back. 

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Phil was jostled slightly as the cart came to slow stop at the station. He looked outside the window and allowed himself to relax slightly. Good, they were finally there.

He never minded riding the train despite how crowded or hot it happened to be. Of course it had its moments of discomfort, but he has met many interesting people there, some even making it in his list of potential videos (such as having a woman mistake him for her teenage son and forced to listen to a lecture for apparently ‘skipping school to go see a baby elephant’ which was a valid reason in Phil’s opinion.) 

However, having people stare at him the whole ride didn't really fit into his thought of a pleasant ride. The girls who criticized his clothes had ended their conversation a while ago, but continued to shoot him glances every so often. (He couldn't understand how they still found him so interesting.) He even had the pleasure to have a man ‘woof’ in his ear before they got off. He couldn't believe it when it happened! A woof! In his ear! Again! He really hoped that the woofing thing would not become a recurring thing. The first time was plenty enough.

Luckily, Dan isolated himself the whole ride, completely unaware of his surroundings and how uncomfortable Phil felt. Not that Dan should worry about how he felt, when Phil understood perfectly how agitated and uncomfortable his flat mate was on a daily bases. 

Phil leaned lightly on Dan’s shoulder and gently pulled out one of the earphones from Dan’s ear, laughing at the almost offended look he got in return. MCR blasted away in the little speaker and Phil had to suppress a sigh. Dan really intended to play all his cards that day. 

He merely pointed at the doors as a response, stifling another jolt of laughter at Dan’s indignant huff. Looks like he was still sour over the loss of his coffee. Phil couldn't help but roll his eyes at the dramatic way Dan lifted himself up from his slouched position, lips twitching in amusement at the effort he expressed in trying to look like he actually was not, in fact, a total weeb who on a daily basis can be described as a walking meme. Phil had to admit, he did a pretty good job. (Which really was just not fair). 

“Come on Dan, they're probably on their way now.” 

“Uuugghh fine.” At least he was cooperating this time. 

They barely touched the platform when one of the girls from earlier made eye contact with Dan, stopping him in his tracks. Phil’s skin tingled uncomfortably. Dan stared back, shuffling awkwardly in front of the entrance. Of course Phil knew it was because Dan is socially stunted, but the girl made him feel nervous. The way she raked her eyes over Dan’s figure, pausing to linger at his face and chest. 

They were no stranger to people staring at them, may it be because of YouTube, their work in BBC 1, or the fact that they were freakishly tall. And that meant dealing with many stares, all with different degrees of intensity (it usually ranged from innocent curiosity to borderline derange, faces drenched in tears and a lot of incoherent babbling). 

But hers was different. She definitely didn't recognise them. She didn't react at all when she first glanced at them, but now her gaze glistened with emotions they rarely received. Interest. Lust. Desire. And they all were directed at Dan. Never breaking eye contact.

Phil felt a breath he didn't realise he held escape his lips at Dan’s sudden shift, awkwardly moving out of the girls way without breaking the intense stare. 

Only to smack his head on the pole.

Phil squeaked, rushing to help a now embarrassed Dan and walked them both out of the station. He risked a glance back, feeling his stomach finally un-knot at the sight of the girl being tugged in the opposite direction by her friend.

 

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

“It wasn't as bad as you think Dan.” 

“Yes, it was! I literally just made awkward sexual eye contact with a girl in the tube and then walked into a pole!” 

“Didn't you do that before, but it was a window in a coffee shop?” 

“What even is my life?” 

“Should I tweet this?” 

“I will end you.” 

Phil took a sip of his latte, inching away at Dan’s threatening fingers with a squeak. They currently resided in a cafe near a park, waiting for their friends to arrive. It was small, but it had its own endearing charm. It offered comfort with its sweet aroma and quiet space, a variety of colours spattered the walls in a way that made it work. Every corner had some type of plant or colourful decor, making everything have a cheerful atmosphere. Perhaps it was too bright for a cafe, but it drew Phil in, and he quite like the scenery.

It had nothing to do with how it contrasted Dan in a way that made his features pop out even more. 

Definitely not. 

However it was slightly dampened by said person’s mumbling, more than likely causing himself to have cringe attacks reliving the event that just happened over and over again. Not that Phil could complain, he did the same thing when he choked on his Lucozade in front of that pretty girl a couple years ago. Truly, the two were doomed to always be a complete mess in front of potential partners. 

“Come on Dan, why don't you eat your muffin? Can't curse life in an empty stomach.” Phil said, pushing Dan's muffin closer to him in hopes of distracting him from the mental trauma he was causing himself. When it doubt, eat it out. 

Dan stopped his muttering and stared at the pastry like it somehow contained life’s answers, eyes wide and vulnerable. It should not have been as endearing as Phil thought it was. “You're right…” Dan whispered, marveling at the treat one more time before taking a large bite, face melting to one of bliss. ( Phil forced himself to ignore the sudden flashbacks of a familiar situation involving said muffin).

“So who're we meeting anyways? Is it for a collab?” Dan finally asked, crumbling the muffin’s remains in his hand. He practically inhaled the pastry, finishing it off with three large bites.Although he finally stopped muttering, Dan continued to appear anxious. 

Phil rolled his eyes playfully, “We’re meeting with Joe and Caspar, and I think their friend Oli. And it's only to have a chat, though we could collab if you want.” 

Dan finally appeared to relax, feigning disgust at Phil's answer. “Those losers? Ugh.”

“Losers?” Phil laughed, taking a sip of his drink. 

“Yeah, losers. Look at them, publishing a book and a movie the same year as us. That's just rude.” 

“Says you, Howell.” A voice piped up behind them. 

Phil had to give credit to Dan for masking his flinch at Caspar’s head suddenly popping out from behind one of the plants, Joe and Oli following after him. 

He was, however, not so lucky. 

Phil let out a small shriek, frantically cupping his mouth to stop the latte he was drinking from dribbling out. Joe and Dan laughed loudly while Caspar apologised profusely, and Oli, bless him, quickly passed him a napkin. “You okay?” 

“*Cough* Y-Yeah… thank you.” Phil muttered gratefully, shooting Dan a light hearted glare. However, he couldn't help but smile at Dan’s boisterous laughter. He hasn't seen those dimples for awhile. Well, if he didn't count seeing the 'sad dimple’ memes.

“Sorry Phil, I didn't mean to scare you.” Caspar apologised again, pulling out a chair to sit next to Phil. Joe sat besides Dan with an identical smile, placing and arranging their own items around the table so Oli had room to scoot in the remaining spot. It kicked off after that. Caspar and Dan immediately went at it, discussing how much they 'hate’ and 'copied’ each other while Joe and Oli laughed, randomly adding fuel to the playful argument. 

“Because of you, I'm still being called a pineapple! Pictures and all!” 

“Embrace it! Embrace the meme!” 

“Hey, at least you're not a cactus!” 

And banter similar to that calibre continued the whole evening. It was a wonder they weren't kicked out. Phil contributed to whatever conversation they decided to stick to, but he spent most of his time staring at Dan, gauging his reactions and listening to the tone of his voice. There was no hint of hesitation, no stutter or awkward pauses. Dan looked...free. Perhaps it was because Dan can’t resist being a little shit to their friends, but he looked a lot happier.

Phil smiled, watching as Caspar made a fool out of himself while Dan egged him on. Yes, it was a good decision to come here. 

“So, Joe made pancakes right? No, not the American ones,” Caspar added at Phil’s sudden interest. “ And I didn’t get to eat a single one! Now, I’m starving…!” He finished, laying his cheek on the table to emphasise his distress. 

Joe rolled his eyes, “Then order something, you baby.” 

Everyone laughed at Caspar’s whine, but Phil stilled. It sounded like friendly teasing between mates, but he caught something different in Joe’s tone. It sounded almost...endearing. Was that his imagination? 

He frowned, taking small peaks at Joe’s face over his cup. Joe acted the same, joking at his friend’s expenses while also cheering them on at their banter. If anything, phil would say there was nothing there to find. But when the conversation changed to a lighter one, Phil sees it. It’s hardly noticeable, only a twitch of his lips twitch, but Joe’s face softens when he looks at Caspar, lips quirked in a small smile even when the other was complaining.

It kind of reminded him of…

Joe felt Phil’s stare and looked up, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. He mouthed a silent ‘what?’, but it only met with the same intense stare. He didn’t understand. There was no malice or heat in the stare, but it was intense, almost as if Phil could see through him. But he didn’t feel uncomfortable, no, weirdly enough, he felt almost glad. Of what, he couldn’t figure out. 

Then, Phil’s eyes suddenly shifted to Dan, and Joe understood. It was like looking at his own reflection in those blue eyes. 

They were the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things begin to pick up after this chapter, so don't expect it to be as slow pace as it was. Thank you for putting up with my tardiness and I hope to have your support in the further future. ^^


	3. Where to Begin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now Phil's suddenly back at the same cafe, clutching his latte nervously in an attempt to calm down and not freak out.

“Are you okay?” 

“O-Of course why wouldn’t I be?” 

He could do this, it’s just talking with Joe. Nothing bad. 

Okay... maybe he wasn’t as fine as he thought. 

Oh god, Phil’s actually doing this. It was completely on impulse and he's still reeling from the shock that the other actually agreed to his ridiculous proposal. It was after their little chat in the cafe that Phil pulled Joe aside to just talk to him. It wasn't like they were going to pour their heart and soul to each other right then and there, especially when the root of their problems sat a few feet away from them. 

Of course this leads to Phil suggesting they meet up again there, and you know, see how it goes. The subway ride to and fro will not be kind to his wallet, but he felt that, despite how ridiculous he feels about it now, he needed this. To let out all the thoughts and feelings bubbling inside his head. 

So, the plan was made. They will meet up again, and if it goes well, will become a semi-regular thing. All disguised as a ‘large project’ that Joe’s cooking up involving Phil’s help. Gotta have those sweet editing tips. 

However, Phil felt terrible after it, realising that he now has to lie to Dan. Especially after having to tell him no when Dan offered to go with him, explaining that Joe only really needed him. Dan gave him a searching look at that (Phil already felt the sweat gathering at his forehead) before he shrugged it off, opting to continue his browsing on tumblr instead, but Phil knew better. He knew his friend better than anyone, and he could tell that Dan was hurt by the rejection. 

Now Phil's suddenly back at the same cafe, clutching his latte nervously in an attempt to calm down and not freak out. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Joe asked softly, biting down his amusement at seeing such a large person try to shrink themselves into their seat. Not that he wasn’t fighting his own nerves down. He had to wave off Caspar’s suspicions after stating he was going to be hanging out with Phil for the next few weeks, probably thinking the smaller male had larger -and evil- intentions planned involving him somehow. (Which Joe found ridiculous because come on, it’s Phil).

“I-I am! It’s just that...I feel really guilty for leaving Dan home alone. It kind of goes against my plan of having him out of the house…” 

“I’m sure he’ll be fine, you left him alone before, right? He’s a big boy. Or are you guys actually glued to the hip?” Joe teased, enjoying the light blush creeping on the other’s cheek. 

“I can assure you we’re not.” Phil answered, nursing his drink to his chest. 

The conversation fell after that, Phil fiddling with his drink while Joe tapped his fingers on the table in a basic beat. The silence continued for another minute, and Joe began to sweat. How do they do this?! Do they confess their attractions? Gush like school girls? Describe how hot their roommates are? God, where do they start? He hasn’t felt this awkward since the time he had to sit and hear Caspar’s mum talk about how she didn’t like him. (Lucky for him that it was just a prank, or Joe wouldn’t have been able to bear it). 

His tapping reached a faster rate, and he couldn’t think straight. They didn't really plan this out when they decided to do this. Well of course not, it was on impulse, on the spot. They hardly know each other that well and suddenly they were going to express their feelings? Maybe this wasn’t a good idea after all- 

“Did you know that dolphins are actually extremely smart? They were able to train humans to walk up to the ledge and feed them fish whenever they flipped!”Phil blurted, swinging his arms up so enthusiastically that he almost spilled his drink. 

Joe stopped his tapping, eyes bulging out incredulously at the claim. Phil nervously smiled, keeping his arms spread wide even when the silence continued to linger. 

Then, Joe lost it. He threw his head back and laughed. And laughed. Actually, he was howling with laughter, clutching his stomach as his whole body shook with the action. He even had tears gather in his eyes, mouth gasping for breath before spilling over with laughter once more. Phil watched him slightly in awe before he joined him, chuckling lightly in slight relief. 

The heavy atmosphere around them finally disappeared. Joe slowly gained his bearings, taking large breaths and exaggerated wheezes. “Hahh...I’m going to get some insane abs because of this.” He shot Phil a grin, “You have an amazing mind. Dolphins smarter than-how did you come up with that?” 

Phil grinned back, “Why didn’t you?” 

“Good point.” Joe replied, finally feeling the tight knot of laughter leave his body. They fell into a much more comfortable silence, enjoying the scenery and the presence of the other. 

They knew it was time. Joe shifted in his chair, finding a comfortable position. He then took a large deep breath, closing his eyes then reopening them in a slow, calm manner before meeting Phil’s soft blue eyes. “You go first.” He asked softly, offering an encouraging smile at the slight panic that flickered through those expressive eyes.

”Me?” Phil squeaked. 

“Yeah, I’m not really into the whole ‘expressing feelings’ thing, so I need a moment to psych myself up, if that's okay.” And dammit, he wasn't suppose to admit that, but just looking at the person in front of him made Joe feel like it was okay to open up, if only a little bit. Phil nodded in understanding, giving his own encouraging smile. Joe really wanted to curse him for being so cute and nice. If only he wasn’t so into his idiotic roommate. 

“Well, I don’t really know where to start,” Phil began, staring off unsurely at his cup, “It kind of just happened.” He paused, licking his lips. “I don't know, every time I watch a movie, the people always have some sort of revelation or could pinpoint when they fell in love but...it wasn’t like that at all. I couldn't tell you when even if tried. Dan was suddenly just there. Now, he's a major part of my life. You can't have Phil without Dan or Dan without Phil, it's something we both accepted. Then Phan was created, and it became a big thing in our lives.”

The other snorted, “That’s an understatement.” 

Phil snickered, “I know, sorry. Our fans do get out of hand sometimes. Anyways, Phan became sort of joke between us, even now Dan takes immense pleasure in messing with our audience, and we never took any of the shipping or ‘signs’ seriously. When we first met, it was all light hearted. We even jokingly ‘flirted’ with each other, if you want to call it that, before we officially met in person. The main point is, this thing I have with Dan has always been constant, we've been together for such a long time. I think over the years we’ve been with each other, this thing I share with Dan, specifically in my case, has developed far past than I can ever understand. To the point where I'm reminded of Dan from every little thing and it doesn't bother me. I...naturally fell in love with him.” Phil finished with a whisper. 

The cafe felt so vacant and quiet, even when he could clearly see the amount of people moving around, all absorbed in their own conversations. His voice felt a little strained, and he realised it's been awhile since the last time he talked for such a long period. 

Phil glanced up at Joe almost shyly, taking into rolling his empty cup between his palms in an attempt to keep his nerves down. Joe looked at him intensely, his usual smirk quirked in a little frown. 

“Wow…” Joe finally breathed, leaning back into his chair in a slight gesture of awe. He took a moment to let the words sink in, going over the rambling and trying to find the core thought. Of course he got the jist of what Phil was saying, but he still found it so confusing. “Mate, I'm not gonna lie, your whole love story is pretty complexed. I can't wrap my mind around it.” 

Phil huffed in amusement, “ I know. Our lives are really hectic, especially since I'm so clumsy and a total spas while Dan can't seem to get a break.” 

The other peered at his drink in thought, and Joe was suddenly mesmerised by the tender heat in those blue eyes, “ I never had a ‘revelation’ or the ability to tell someone when I fell in love, because I never needed to. I wasn't pressured or conflicted with intense feelings. The fact is, I have lived with Dan for over six years, already nearing our seventh. I am lucky, I had all the time in the world to fall in love with him.” 

Joe felt blown away for a second, “I wish I can say I have a similar story, but that's not really me is it? Compared to you, I’m a complete mess.” He joked. 

Phil shook his head, “I don't think you’re a mess. Everyone has different encounters, I couldn't even give you a proper story.” He shrugged, a light smile on his face.

Joe cleared his throat. He knew it was his turn. He really didn't want to, already hearing his friends calling him a sap in the back of his mind. But he needed to, his mind was too fogged up and he couldn't think straight anymore. Joe felt grateful that the larger male merely sat patiently in front him, a gentle look adorning his face. Phil shared his spile of thoughts, and that means he can to. 

Joe sighed, combing his hair out of his forehead. “Well let me tell you, Caspar didn’t make it easy for me. He’s such a touchy guy and has no sense of personal space, always wrapping his arm around my neck. I think kind of like you, I can’t really pinpoint when I started to feel....well how feel. If I had to guess, it was around the first year we lived together. I remembered feeling almost ashamed during the first indication of my attraction towards him. In the beginning, I didn’t think anything by it at first. Thought it was just innocent banter between mates, I still do it now actually, mostly with Oli and Josh because they make it easy.” Joe laughed at that, “So when I took the time to actually think about it...I sort of felt disgusted.

Not that I think a relationship between two men is disgusting,” Joe hurried to say, “I don’t know, I felt confused about it and my immediate reaction was to just deny it and push it to the back of my mind. It bothered me so much that during one of my videos I addressed the shippy photoshops that some of my viewers do, and told them to stop. I probably sounded like an absolute prick, haha. But of course, Caspar never really was fair. He made it harder to ignore, and I ended up falling for him more. The more I became aware of it, the more I realised how stupid I was being. So, one day I embraced it. I looked in the mirror and said ‘I'm Joe Sugg, and although I know I'm straight, I can be gay for my best friend and roommate. And that's okay.’ I kept repeating that to myself for weeks. It probably sounded like I was making a big deal out of it, but it meant so much to say it aloud. I wanted someone to talk to so I...I told my friend Oli about it soon after.” 

God, he still shivered at the memory. That faithful day seemed to mock him, not a single cloud floated in the sky and a cool breeze whisped in the air. He didn't plan to tell him, heck, he didn't even plan to go to the others apartment. He just ended up there after his thoughts became too loud and he couldn't take it anymore. 

The moment Oli opened the door, Joe fell apart. His words were garbled with gasps, hugging his arms to his chest to keep them from nearly pulling his hair out. It was too intense. Oli, beautiful Oli, pulled him inside and enveloped him in an embrace, listening with a panicked but patient heart. The rest of the memory blurred, filling with images of tears, whispers of comfort, and warm hands on his back. Joe’s forever thankful to him. 

“Talking to Oli really helped, and thanks to him, the thought of dating Caspar is actually...really frickin nice.” He felt his cheeks burn at the confession. Joe didn’t mean to tell Phil all of that, and yet, he’s really glad he did. 

Phil was silent, but his eyes were bright and calming, crinkling in delight. “It probably doesn’t mean much coming from me, but I’m so proud of you, Joe. That took a lot of guts to do, and I’m really glad that you had someone to trust and confide with when you were troubled. It’s good to admit that dating Caspar is nice.’”

Joe preened at those words, chest warming at the sincerity in the other’s voice. “No, thanks. That really means a lot.” 

This time when they fell into silence, they welcomed it, exhausted by the conversation and high of emotion. But they both felt content. So damn content. 

It’s the first time, in a long time, that their chest were light and they could breathe freely. After their drinks were finished and paid for, they stepped out of the cafe, relishing in the rare beams of sunlight slipping through the clouds. It was time to go home. 

Home to Dan. 

Home to Caspar. 

They caught each other’s eye, and there it was, that spark of understanding. Joe lips curled in a smirk, doubt tossed out of his mind. 

Yes, this was a good idea.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

The keys clattered on the counter top as Phil all but collapsed on it, wheezing from the flight of stairs. The ride home was exhausting, not only did he almost missed his stop, he had to run all the way back because he got lost in the station. In his defense, there was a dog in a conductor uniform and he couldn’t help but be distracted by it (and take a few pictures, too).

Once he felt like he wasn’t going to puke out his lungs, he lifted his head towards the living room, suppressing a sigh at the sight. Dan sat right in his couch crease, feet lifted on the coffee table while balancing his laptop on his lap. 

Exactly how Phil left him this morning. 

“Hey, Dan! I’m back.” He called, waving a little as he regained his balance. All he got was a grunt. Typical. Phil merely rolled his eyes, lips quirking in amusement. 

He left Dan to his sulking for a moment to go fetch his own laptop, whispering a quiet ‘ahah’ when he found it. He then returned to the living room, snatching both the remote and their controller before ungracefully plopping himself next to Dan, grinning at the glare that immediately followed the action. He simply turned on his computer and started his own browsing, pushing his glasses lower on his nose to compensate the glow of the screen. 

He quickly checked on Joe’s status, noticing that he uploaded a gaming video. Ah, that reminds him, he needed to finish editing his part of the Sims. 

Phil let his musing linger for a little while, pretending not to notice Dan’s posture falter as the seconds ticked on. He learned long ago that it was better to let Dan have some time to think and initiate the conversation first when he was in a mood. Phil wondered what happened to have Dan sour enough to not even say hi to him. 

“So...how did it go, you know, with Joe,” Dan finally asked, eyes not leaving his screen. 

Phil smiled, it was something. “It went well, Joe got a basic idea for his project, now he just needs to tweak it a bit before we actually get started on it.” 

“He should have had an idea before he asked you, Phil.” Dan muttered. 

Phil chuckled, “Yeah, but it was fun brainstorming. My brain feels fried, like I was struck by lightning.” 

Dan snorted at that, “You would have died if that did happen.” 

“What, you wouldn’t save me if I was about to be struck by lightning?” 

“I would let you die.” 

Phil let out a loud ‘Hey!’ as Dan bursts out laughing, finally breaking out of his lax position. Phil relaxed, happy to see the other actually talking and laughing with him. 

“I wasn’t there to be able to save you, Phil. Remember? I can’t go.” 

“Yeah, I know. I kind of wish you could, I would have felt more comfortable if you were able to come with me.” And he meant it. Not that being with Joe was terrible, he got along well with him, especially after having their talk together. But Dan makes him feel safe, and while he knows it’s silly to feel that way when he’s already thirty years old, it’s true. Of course, he’s not changing his mind. Having Dan come with him means he can’t talk to Joe about, well, Dan. 

Phil looked at him, catching a glimpse of Dan looking almost fondly at his keyboard. Before Phil could question why, the other quickly pulled up google on his screen, typing in ‘Phil Lester x Joe Sugg’ causing Phil to splutter. “Dan!” 

“What? I’m just curious, you know how our fans get. Tumblr’s already shipping Dab and Evan, you know,” Dan simply answered, smirking when the search offered little about the pairing. 

“I know that, but that doesn’t mean you look it up, Dan!” Phil squeaked, relieved in the absence of suggestive pictures or dirty fanfiction. The pairing must be extremely rare, if not existent. 

Dan merely shrugged, “I looked up worse.” 

“I can believe that.” 

Phil lifted up the controller, catching Dan’s eyes. “Want to continue Haikyuu?” 

“Oh my god, yes. Put it on.”

“You read that fanfic again, didn’t you?” 

“Yes I did, so shut up and put it on.” 

The both laughed, abandoning their laptops on the table in favour to get more comfy on the couch as Phil set of crunchyroll. It was nice. No weight on his shoulders, or mind clouded with negative thoughts. 

While he couldn’t wait for their next meet up at the cafe, here, with Dan, Phil felt warm. He wouldn’t abandon that feeling for the world. 

Even for a silly crush.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

¬BONUS¬

Phil blindly felt for his phone after he heard it chimed, too bleary from editing their new Sims video. He furrowed his eyebrows, wondering who would be texting him at this hour. 

The phone chimed once more in reminder before Phil finally found it. Phil’s eyes widen, it was from Joe. Did he forget something? 

To: Phil  
Hey, I was just wondering about something. Something came up on a recent video.

To: Joe Sugg  
Really? What is it? O-O

The text came a moment later. A simple one sentence message. But Joe’s incredulous and anger was clear. Phil wanted to laugh, but he felt regretful a little more.

To: Phil  
Why is my comment sections filled with the words, Soft and Neat? 

To: Joe Sugg  
I’m so sorry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry, I wasn't even going to add that bonus chapter but they HAD to do another DanandphilCRAFTS. Thanks for reading this far, this chapter gave me some struggle, still does, but as it is, I'm satisfied with it. Thank you for reading and sticking with me ^^

**Author's Note:**

> Just to let you all know, I am both Phil trash and Joe trash. So that means, these two will have the sweetest and most pain experiences out of the rest of them. My precious sunshines!
> 
> Things will begin to pick up just a little bit once they actually meet up so stay tuned in for that!
> 
> Thanks for reading, and have an amazing day you beautiful people.


End file.
